Georgia Tech had visions of something special halfway through this football season.

The Yellow Jackets were 6-0, ranked ninth in the nation and soaring. But it all came crashing down in Charlottesville, Va., in mid-October when the University of Virginia held on for a 24-21 upset. Perhaps there was a hangover lingering the next week and Georgia Tech tumbled at Miami.

It is not as if Georgia Tech faltered down the stretch, though. Yes, the Yellow Jackets finished 8-4. But, yes, the Yellow Jackets played a stunningly difficult schedule -- No. 6 Clemson, No. 9 Virginia Tech and No. 13 Georgia were waiting in the tall grass.

"We got off to a great start," Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said. "We didn't finish as well as we would like to. Hopefully, we can come here and win one more football game."

Perhaps the toughest Georgia Tech setback was that final fall to rival Georgia.

"We play our in-state rival," Johnson said, "and it's for bragging rights in the state. It's tough. After a while, you bounce back and you get ready to play again. Young people are resilient. We started practicing again, broke for Christmas on the 22nd and have had pretty good practices here."

Overall, it has been a strong season -- a bowl season -- for the Yellow Jackets. They were picked fourth in the Coastal Division of the ACC. Little was expected.

Advertisement

But Washington had a fine year, rushing for 890 yards (second most ever by a Georgia Tech quarterback) and posting a pass efficiency of 153.5. David Sims ran for 698 yards, averaging 5.2 yards per carry and Owin Smith ran for 616 yards, averaging a gaudy 10.3 yards per carry.

The Georgia Tech spread option ranks third in the nation in rushing yards, averaging 316.8 yards per game.

But Washington keeps the threat of the pass near at all times and Stephen Hill is an enormous threat at 6-foot-5, 206 pounds. Hill ranks first in the nation, averaging an obscene 30.2 yards per catch. He has 26 catches for 785 yards.

In short, the Yellow Jackets will gouge you and gouge you and gouge you again with their running attack and, when you least expect it, strike through the air.

The season began with lofty dreams and it will end in the Sun and, the Yellow Jackets hope, with one final win on the final day of 2011.